2 GOINGS ON ABOUT THE, THE,A TRE, (E. and W. mean East and West of Broadway.) PLA YS THE ASPERN PAPERs-Maybe there isn't too much sub tance in Michael Redgrave's adaptation of Henry James's story about a publisher who wants to lay hands on the manuscripts of a defunct American poet-the papers now presumably being in the p ssessiOl: of the poet's mistress, a centenanan resIdent of Venice-but the acting, by Maurice Evans, Françoise Rosay, Augusta Merighi, J en N el- son, Clifford David, and, most particularly, Wendy Hiller, is a joy to behold. (Playhouse, 48th St., E. CI 5-6060 Nightly, except Sun- days, at R:40. Matinees Wednesdays at 2 dnd Saturdays at 2:40.) GIDEON-A Biblical drama by Paddy Chayefsky in which Fredric March, as a Lord both wrathful and whimsical, trie to tnake Doug- las Campbell, a Gideon, appreciate the fact that a lover of God has to put all traces of selfish pride behind hin1. The play was di- rected by Tyrone Guthrie, and is acted with enthusiasm by the large cast. However, the central idea grows a trifle thin before the drama has run its cour e (Plymouth, 4S th St., W. CI 6-9IS6. Nightly, except Sundays, at 8:30 Matinees Wednesdays at 2 and Sat- urdays at 2:30.) A GIFT OF TIME-One large redeeming feature of thi generally footless account of a man slow- ly dying of cancer is the performance of Henry Fonda, as the victim. Mr Fonda i" as- sisted meagerly by Olivia de Havilland. (Ethel Barrymore 47th St., W. CI 6-?3?0. Nightly, except Sundays, at 8:40. MatInees Wednesdays at 2 dnd Saturdays at 2:3 0 .) A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS-It's a good bet that this is the best play you'll encounter all year. The seasonable man in Robert Bolt's ,\-ork is of cour e, Sir Thomas More, and Paul S ofield plays him with enormous persua- siveness. He is ably assisted by Thomas Gomez, A.lbert Dekker, William Redfield, Keith Baxter, David J. Stewart, and, in the highest degree, George Rose. (ANTA Thea- tre. S2nd St., W. CI 6-6270. Nightly, except Sundays at 8:30. Matinées Wednesdays at 2 and Saturdays at 2:3 0 .) THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA-Tenne see Williams philosophizing about life, death, loneliness, God s.ex, and other large problems in a play that'demonstrates the Master's skill but is fairly shapeless The scene is a ramshackle Mexican hotel, where are assembled an un- frocked minister, a lusty widow who run the establishment, an ancient poe1 and his grand- daughter, and a number of other types. from Mr. Williams' zoo. Patrick O'Neal IS the former clenc, Bette Davis is the carnal pro- prietress, and Alan Webb and l\1argaret Leighton are the poet and his granddaughter. They are all quite fine, especially Miss Leighton, who really glows as a spinster tied to a durable ancient. (Royale, 45th St., W. CI S-S7 60 Nightly, ex-cept Sundays, at 8:4 0 . Matinées Wednesdays at 2 and Saturdays at 2:40.) OLD VIC- The final performances in a six-week repertory of Shakespeare and Shaw, present- ed by S H urok. "Saint Joan," with Bar- bara J efford and John Clements: Thursday, March 15, at 8.... fJJ "Romeo and Juliet," with John Stride and Joanna Dunham: Fri- day, March [6, at 8: I S, and Saturday, March 17, at ,2 and 8: 15. . . . fJJ "Macbeth," with John Clements and Barbara J efford: Sunday, March 18, at 2 and 8:IS. (City Center, 13 1 W ssth St CI 6- 8 9 8 9.) A PASSAGE TO INDIA-Santha Rama Rau's adapta- tion of E. M. Forster's celebrated novel about the uneasiness of the relationships between the British and the Indians under their con- trol. Eric Portman, Gladys Cooper, Zia Mohyeddin, and Anne Meacham perform ad- 111irably, but the play is not as effective as its source. (Ambassador, 49th St., W. CO 5- I8SS. Nightly, except Sundays, at R:30. Mati- née" Wednesdays at 2 and Saturdays at 2:30.) PURLIE VICTORious-Some of the scenes and lines I --- TOWN SUNDAY IN NEW YORK-. girl's difficulty in re- maining virginal and still keeping the boys On eàge is explored relentlessly in the first act of this endeavor by N onTIan Krasna; the second act afford a funny fifteen-minute relief. With Pat Stanley, Robert Redford, Conrad Janis, and Sondra Lee. (Golden, 45th St., W. CI 6-6740. Nightly, except Mon- days, at 8:30. Matinees Saturday" at 2:3 0 and Sundays at 3.) TAKE HER, SHE'S MINE-A cOtnedy about the wor- ries of a West Coast father who sends his daughter to an Eastern school and then be- comes alar.med at the thought that wolves from Harvard, M.LT., Darthmouth, and Yale will devour her. A..rt Carney and Elizabeth A..shley are likable as the father and daughter, but the play, \i\.ritten by Phoebe and Henry Ephron, contains n10re TV suds than legiti- mate substance. (Bilttnore, 47th St.. vV. JU 2-S340. Nightly, except Sundays, at 8:40. Matinees Wednesdays at 2 and Saturdays at 2:40. Special performance for the Actors' Fund Sunday evening, March 18.) WRITE ME A MURDER-Although this hotnicidal exercise bv Frederick Knott mav not be as tense as h(s "Dia] 'M' for Murde ," it is full of the tantalizing c0111plications so dear to the hearts of mystery-dratna fanciers. James Donald. Kin1 Hunter Denholm Elliott. Torin Thatcher, dnd Ethel Griffies do well in the leading roles. (Belasco, 44th St., E. JlT 6- 79SO. Nightly, except Sundays, at 8:40. Mati- nées Wednesdays at 2 and Saturdays at 2:40.) LONG RUNS-COME BLOW YOUR HORN: Father wants his sons to get busy in the artificial- fruit game, and they don't think tTIuch of the idea. With Hal March, Joel Grey, and Lou Jacobi. (Brook" Atkinson, 47th St., W. CI S-1 310. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8:40. Matinée W edne day at 2, Saturday at 2:40, and Sundays at 3.). . . MARY, MARY: Thi" comedy, by Jean Kerr, has to do with a young couple trying to get together after an estrangement. Barbara Bel Geddes, Barry Nelson, Edv., anI Mulhare, and John Crom- well are in it. (Helen Hayes, 46th St., \Y. CI 6-6380. Nightly, except Sundays, dt 8:30. Matinées Wednesdavs at 2 and Saturdavs at 2:30.)"' "' MUSICALS A FAMILY AFFAIR-The arrangements for a wed- ding cau e a lot of confusion in thi" musical, but they could hardly excite the interest of those not imtnediately involved. Shelley Ber- man, Carol Bruce, and Morris Carno\ sky are among those unfortunately present. (Billy Rose, 41st St., VV. WI 7-5SIO. Tue"da:ys through Saturdays at 8:30. Matinées vVednes- days at 2 and Saturdays at 2: 30.) How TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRY- ING-When it gets going. this spoof of com- mercial mores is quite funny. Robert 110r"e amusingly plays a young man detern1Îned to be at the top of the business pile, and Rudy Vallee is most satisfactory as the president of something called World Wide Wickets, Inc. The product of the old team of Abe Burrows and Frank Loesser, the show also has the valuable services of Bonnie Scott, Virginia Martin, Charles Nelson Reilly, Claudette Sutherland, Paul Reed, and Ruth Kobart (46th Street Theatre, 46th St., W. CI 6-427 I. ).Jightly, except Sundays, at 8:30. l\1atinées Wednesdays at 2 and Saturdays at 2:30.) MILK AND HONEy-A tour of Israel, not overly exciting, with eight Atnerican \\'idovvs in search of husbands. While they search, they are diverted with all kind" of native celebra- tions. Mimi Benzell is one widow, Mollv Picon is another, and Robert Weede plays ã visiting businesstnan. Jerry Herman \\' rote the musiC' and lyrics (Martin Beck, 45th St., W. CI 6-6363 Nightly except Sundays, at 8: 30. Matinees Wednesdays at 2 and C:;atur- days a1 2:30.) SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING-. ricketv vehicle constructed by Adolph Green and Betty Comden, thdt induces little but somnOlence as it bears a cargo of indigents all around Man- hattan. The music, by J ule Styne, is some- thing less than rousing, but a number of the - 1 I . . 1 -. 1 n .. / 11" . .-k. ! l . "- . , -- - - ,, - I 1 __- .. b " --Y A CON ,CIENTIOUS CALENDAR. OF EVENTS OF INTER.EST 5 . M.T.W.T. 15 22 F · 5 : \ : -.Þ 18 19 20 21 THE NEW YORKER published weekly by The New Yorker Iagazine, Inc., 25 W. 43rd St., New York 36, N. Y.; R. H. FleIschmann, president and chairman of the board; E. R. Spaulding and R. H. Truax, vice-presIdents; P. F. FlcIschmann, treasurer; Mrs. M. L. Fries secretary; A. J. Russell, Jr., advertising direc- tor. Out of town offices: Chicago, 6 North lVlIchigan Ave; San Francisco, 155 Montgomery St.; Los Angeles, 2975 Wilshire Blvd.; Atlanta, 137..s. Peachtree St N.E.; London, 21 Grosvenor St. Vol XXXVIII, NO.4 lVlarch 17, 1962 Second-class postage paId at New York, N. Y and at Greenwich, Conn. .9, 19 6 / by The New Yorker Magazine, Inc., in the United States and Canada All nghts reserved No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the consent of The New Yorker. Pnnted in U. S. A. SubscriptIOn rates: U. S. and posseSSIOns, 1 year $7.00; Canada, Latin America, and Spain, $8.00. Other foreIgn, $10.00. In this farce about a ); egro preacher who changes the old rules on the old plantation are uproanous, and ome are a bit heavy- handed. Ossie Davis, who wrote the play ap- pear" in it as the preacher, and Ruby Dee and Godfrey M. Cambridge are very funny indeed in subsidiary roles (Longacre 4 8th St., VV. CI 6-5639. Nightly, except Sundays, dt 8. 30. Iatinees \Yedne"day" at 2 and Sat- urdays at 2:30.) Ross-A "ketch of Lawrence of Arabia, told in flashbacks frum the time he was allegedly ';eeking anonymity as an obscure airman at an English base to the days of his glory as the terror of the Turks John Mills is arresting as the hero of Terence Rattigan's play, but the main question about T. E. Lawrence- \\. as he a fake or a geniu , or maybe a bit uf both ?-is never satisfactorily resolved. (Eugene O'Xeill, 49th St., W CI 6-8870. Nightly, except Mondays, at 8:30 Matinées Saturdays at 2:30 and Sundays at 3.) A SHOT IN THE DARK-A. blend of French farce and courtrootn melodrama (adapted by Harry Kurnitz frotn "L'Idiote," by Marcel A..chard) in which Julie Harris plays a pas"ionate maid accused of putting a bullet into the Spanish chauffeur who has been her most recent flame. Proving ::\1iss Harris's guilt or inno- cence is a lengthy and not too interesting procedure, but Walter Matthau gives a first- rate comic performance a" her wealthy em- ployer, who ha" shared her favors with the chauffeur. (Booth 4Sth St., W. CI 6-S969. Nightly, except Sunday , at 8:30. Matinées Wedne"days at 2 and Saturdays at 2:30.) " <>,- THE ART GALLERIES BOOKS THE CURRENT CINEMA LETTER FROM PARIS MUSICAL EVENTS JAZZ RECORDS ON AND OFF THE AVENUE- FEMININE FASHIONS MARKETS AND MENUS TH E RACE TRACK THE THEATRE Page 161 181 122 173 152 154 142 147 119 117 THE. NE. W YOR.KE.R. 2 WE.5T 4JRD 5TRE.E. T TE.LE.PHONE. ADVER TISING "SU8SCRIPTJONS OXfORD -1.515 EDITORIAL OffiCES OXfORD -1414 -u- CHANGE OF ADDR.ESS I t is essentIal that subscribers ordenng a change of address gIVe four weeks' notice and provide theIr old as well as theIr new address. Please give postal zone numbers for both addresses. \,.,